Should you take multivitamins?

June 4, 2023
by RJ Hamster

This week: A hard look at multivitamins; the health risks of the keto diet; understanding carbs, fats, and proteins; detoxing your uterus and other health myths; a promising solution for chronic pain; marijuana and the placebo effect.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BECKY HALE

Not everyone should be taking a multivitamin

Do multivitamins ensure your body gets everything it needs? It’s a complicated question without a one-size-fits-all answer. In some situations, they can be helpful. In others, they can lead to dangerous nutrient deficiencies or imbalances. Experts weigh in on how to make an informed decision.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The truth about popular supplements:

•

Do collagen supplements really work?

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How magnesium affects your sleep and anxiety

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What’s in melatonin—and is it giving you nightmares?

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Why you should be wary of the keto diet

The appeal is obvious: You’re encouraged to eat delicious, high-fat foods like hard cheese, butter, bacon, and steak. The key is very low carbohydrate intake and high fat consumption, so that your body is forced to burn stored fat for fuel instead of carbs. But a new report lays out the potential for serious health consequences.

HERE ARE THE FACTS

FASTING FACTS: Can it really help you live longer? Here’s what the science says. +

PHOTOGRAPH BY NATALIE KEYSSAR, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Carbs, fats, and proteins: What you really need to know

Getting the right mix of these macronutrients is key, but that doesn’t mean you have to do complex calculations every time you eat. Here, we explain how carbs, fats, and proteins are broken down and used in the body.

A NUTRITIONAL LITERACY PRIMER

YOU CAN’T DETOX YOUR UTERUS

PHOTOGRAPH BY GJLP – CNRI, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Misinformation—like the detoxing myth above—abounds when it comes to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Women with PCOS have heightened risks of heart disease, diabetes, anxiety, depression, insomnia, obesity, endometrial cancer, chronic low-grade inflammation, and more—so understanding the data and what doctors actually do recommend is key.

DEBUNKING WOMEN’S HEALTH MYTHS

MENOPAUSE: What happens during menopause? Science is finally piecing it together. +

A NON-ADDICTIVE SOLUTION FOR CHRONIC PAIN?

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN D. LILES, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

The FDA has already approved some monoclonal antibodies—used to protect the vulnerable from COVID-19—to prevent and treat painful chronic migraine attacks. Now researchers are investigating whether these types of proteins might also provide non-addictive, long-lasting pain relief for other chronic pain conditions: low back pain, pain from osteoarthritis, neuropathic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer pain.

REPLACING OPIOIDS

HEALTH NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

PHOTOGRAPH BY NICOLAS ARMER, PICTURE ALLIANCE/GETTY IMAGES

A deadly fungus is spreading around U.S. and the world. Difficult to detect and even harder to treat, Candidas auris has mysterious origins: Where it emerged and why it did so suddenly are still unclear. Here’s what we know about it so far, and who’s most at risk.

WHO IS MOST AT RISK?

A FUNGAL PANDEMIC? This may be the next pandemic—and humans are not prepared +

Does cannabis really relieve pain—or is it the placebo effect?

Your eyes may be a window into early Alzheimer’s detection

Lyme disease is spreading fast—but a vaccine may be on the way

Is Mounjaro the weight-loss drug we’ve been waiting for? Here’s how it compares to Ozempic.

What sunscreens are best for you—and the planet?

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RJ Hamster

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Should you take multivitamins?

Should you take multivitamins?

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